Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) is a technology that enables a user to host their desktop environment in a server centrally. A desktop operating system (OS) and applications are not run on a local machine. Still, instead everything is managed and executed on a server, either in a data center or in the cloud. After that, users can remotely access their virtual desktop using a thin client, laptop, or tablet. It is like having access to your computer wherever you are and on any device, but, instead of carrying it around, all the necessary processing power and data is stored in a secure location.
This framework can be categorized as a type of desktop virtualizing but rather expanding on the idea is a concept that the desktop environment is detached and inaccessible from the box used to access the desktop environment. VDIs (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) is the particular incarnation of this where the virtual desktops are on a server.
What is Virtualization?
To understand VDI, one must examine what virtualization entails. Virtualization is the ability to recreate a virtual copy of a resource, operating system, a server, equipment or a storage device. In the case of VDI, a single physical server can be virtually sliced into multiple virtual machines (VMs), each with its virtual desktop. What makes this possible is a hypervisor a piece of software. It addresses the management of the server’s hardware resources and assigns them to each virtual machine, allowing each virtual desktop to operate independently without interfering with others.
The implication of the VDI is centrally distributed where the computation resources are concerned. Rather than assigning an employee a powerful, individual computer, each employee is provided access to a virtual desktop by one a powerful server. This replaces the classical type of client-server model with a high-performance, centralized model.
Read More : What is Virtualization?
How Does VDI Work?
The mechanism of the work of VDI includes the following elements:
- Host Server: A high performing physical computer at a data center where the virtual desktops are hosted.
- Hypervisor: This is the program that are placed on host server that makes virtualization possible. It spawns and maintains the virtual machines (VMs), which connect every user.
- Connection broker: This software authenticates users and enables them to connect to their assigned virtual desktops. It directs the user to be directed to the correct VM.
- Client Device: The devices a user uses to access his/her virtual desktop. It may be thin client (low-cost, minimum computer), a desktop computer, a laptop, or mobile.
Once a user logs in, he/she will be directed to their VM by an examination of their credentials done by the connection broker. Whatever the user enters (keyboard strokes, mouse movements) gets sent over to the VM, and the visual output is streamed back to the device on the other end. The bulk of the work, running of the applications, and processing of the data is carried out on the server. A client device is basically a window to the virtual desktop.
Types of VDI: Persistent vs. Non-Persistent
VDI comes in two flavours, persistent VDI and non-persistent VDI, each catering to different needs.
Persistent VDI
In persistent VDI, there is a unique embodiment of the virtual desktop of each user, and each user is able to customize and store it. Anything they modify or do e.g., installing software, altering settings, saving files, is saved after they log off. This works almost in the same way as a real physical desktop work. It is more customized, but it demands greater storage space and management of each users VM.
Non-Persistent VDI
In non-persistent VDI, each user is assigned a standard, generic virtual desktop; in that sense, a shared collection of available VMs. On user log off, the virtual desktop is destroyed and put back to it original state. Destruction to all changes This is best suited to task-based employees who do not require a customized desktop, members of a call center or students in a computer lab. Non-persistent VDI is more cost-effective in terms of storage capacity and management, as it allows hundreds of people to share a single master image. This is an extremely popular strategy in cloud computing.
VDI Advantages
The VDI advantages are numerous and directly address many of the challenges of managing traditional desktop environments.
1. Improved Security
The greatest benefit of VDI is increase in security. In a VDI solution, data, applications and the desktop operating system are centrally stored on a centralized server in a secure data center and run on that same server. This implies that not a bit of sensitive information is stored locally on a user device. Should the laptop/tablet of an employee be lost, stolen, or compromised there is no information to be extracted. Physical device is just a nexus, port to the virtual desktop, which is ultimately safe and secure on the server.
IT teams can have a far easier task with regards to enforcing security policies via this centralized approach. They can patch, update and apply access controls to one source image and this will extend to all virtual desktops. This uniformity eliminates the possibility of some devices having obsolete or exposed software. In addition, it simplifies the process of tracking user behavior and detecting possible threats by concentrating all connections and touchpoints with data on a central server, making them relatively easy to inspect and control.
2. Centralized Management
VDI transforms the process of IT departments operating and caring about their desktop. Rather than needing to travel to every user’s computer in the organization to install software packages, run software upgrades, or debug problems, IT personnel can accomplish any of these tasks using one central and remote console. This greatly decreases the time and resource expended in day to day support and issuance of updates. For instance, an application rollout to an entire organization can be completed in minutes with a single master virtual desktop image update, rather than updating hundreds or thousands of individual machines.
It is also through this centralized model that there is a more standardized desktop experience. Each user can have a common environment provisioned to them and compatibility problems are easier to solve and iron-out. When an issue occurs, IT can rapidly provision the user with a new virtual desktop or a restore to a known-good prior state to user barely noticeable downtime and frustration. This performance enables IT teams to be more proactive and work on strategic initiatives as opposed to reactive, maintenance oriented efforts.
3. Cost Savings
Although installation of VDI can be quite expensive, its long-term cost benefits are enormous. One of the biggest areas of savings is that of hardware. Rather than buy high-end high-powered desktop computers, companies can adopt low cost, less powerful thin clients or repurpose older hardware as access devices. They are relatively easier to purchase, their power consumption is low and the life is longer since they do not require the upgrade to run new software as the processing is done in the server.
Moreover, centralised management is an equivalent of lower IT labour costs. Automatic updates take considerably less time, patching and troubleshooting can be done partially automatically, and thus IT staff are free to multiply the number of users per staff member, or to use their time on other, more important tasks. Streamlined nature VDI also means less time is spent solving hardware break/fix problems and a lower requirement to provide on-site support which is especially useful to organizations with a large population of remote workers or employees who are geographically distributed.
4. Flexibility and Accessibility
VDI has unmatched flexibility and accessibility and those two traits are essential in the modern mobile and remote-work environment. Such users are no longer restricted to a particular physical machine and a single location. They can access their entire desktop environment, including all their applications and files securely, on just about any device, in this case, a laptop or tablet, with or without a smartphone, with an internet connection. This enables employees to work at home, at client location or during a business trip without compromising the security and the productivity.
This is also applicable to the physical work space. Employers can adopt “hot-desking” or even “hotels” office arrangements, where workers no longer have a specific office; they can merely log-on to any available workstation. The VDI system offers them their unique personal virtual desktop on demand, making the workplace more active and work not only more effective but efficient. This flexibility is crucial to organizations that must expand their operations in short periods or to those that have a wide range of employees to serve.
5. Scalability
Another main strength of the VDI is scalability. An environment with VDI is far easier and quick to add or reduce than with physical PCs. The entry of a new employee into the company or a temporal group of people in need of access to resources can have a virtual desktop given to them by IT, just by provisioning a new desktop within the array of existing resource pools. This process requires only a few minutes and does not involve acquiring new hardware, installing a system operating system, or configuring programs.
The virtual desktop, on the other hand, can be relatively easily de-provisioned when a project ends or an employee leaves, thereby freeing up the resources it was utilizing to be returned to the central pool. Such an elastic model enables organizations to redeploy their IT infrastructure to retain the ability to adjust to the new business demands without an extensive capital investment. VDI is also a good fit when companies require on-demand scale up as is the case when companies have seasonal surges in workforce or when it is necessary to provide access to contractors and partners temporarily.
VDI vs. Desktop as a Service (DaaS)
VDI essentially involves running virtual desktops from an on-site data center, but larger organizations are increasingly moving these workloads to the cloud. That evolution has crystallized into a model called Desktop-as-a-Service, or DaaS. Under this model, a provider spins up the virtual desktop components in its own cloud and you interact with a finished desktop instead of the raw infrastructure. No racks of servers to purchase, no hypervisor patches to apply; just a predictable monthly or yearly subscription that covers everything from CPU cycles to security updates and user management.
Now consider DaaS as the virtual desktop infrastructure that lives outside your walls. In this scenario, the provider keeps the racks loaded with servers, the hypervisor dashboards that sit in racks, the connection brokers that glue RDP or PCoIP to the users, and, instead of shipping hardware photographs each week, they send you a bill based on the desktops that are running—alive or paused. Because it operates as a subscription, the service scales automatically and shifts costs from a major capital outlay to pliable operational expenditure. By offloading the keep-the-lights-on routines, your in-house team is freed to focus on the business applications your users rely on.
How to Use VDI
Deployment of VDI is very straightforward to the end user. The user will usually perform the following steps after an initial configuration by the IT department:
- Present a customer application on their device (this may be a web browser or a specialized VDI client).
- Sign in by entering their credentials.
- The connection broker validates the user and sends them to the virtual desktop.
- The user gets a view of the virtual desktop, and they are able to continue working like in a real computer.
This process works without any hitch and many users may never calculate that they are using a virtual machine. It is the elegance of what is VDI and how does it work; it is a powerful, flexible solution that can be done without over complicating the end user.
In summary VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) is an effective technology that centralizes where desktop environments are based which makes them extremely secure, easily managed and flexible. It can be on-premise via traditional VDI, or in the cloud via DaaS, but no matter which one is implemented, it is a must in the modern IT regime as it allows operating in an agilier and more secure manner. The VDI Definition is essentially transferring the computing power base of the user, to a secure, central location.
What Is Virtual Desktop Infrastructure In Cloud Computing?
When VDI is used in an environment based on cloud computing, it is described as Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS). Rather than the organization investing in buying the various servers, storage and networking devices and then maintaining them in their own data center, a third-party cloud provider, and operates the VDI infrastructure. All the client organization has to do is subscribing to the service by paying a fee depending on user count or resources being utilized. This transforms the whole infrastructure management responsibility to the cloud provider and organizations can concentrate on the main business.
This model has numerous benefits, such as it does not require setting up a large amount of initial capital which was not required to invest in costly hardware. It additionally offers an unmatched scalability and flexibility. Organizations may spin up new virtual desktops in a short time to match temporary demand, e.g. seasonal workers, and also spin them down just as easily when they are no longer required.
This per-use licensing can also help more businesses access VDI technology given the cost barrier that many small firms may face in establishing and managing their own on-premise VDI. Security and maintenance activities, including application of patches and back up, are also performed by the cloud provider which makes them simple to manage in the company.
Conclusion
VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) is the game-changer that centralizes a desktop environment to improve the security, ease in management and flexibility. Deployed on-premise or in the cloud as Desktop-as-a-Service it provides a scalable and cost effective method of meeting the needs of today dynamic workforce, and it is firmly cemented as one of the core IT technologies.
Additionally, being able to produce a user experience that is similar is a significant attraction of VDI. Configuration errors are reduced because all the users are accessing the same standard desktop, thus reducing software compatibility issues. This consistency both reduces the workload placed on the IT department, and raises productivity to the end-user, who does not have to resynchronize his or her settings and files once he or she switches from one device to another (in the case of persistent VDI).
When the workspace of a user and the physical device become decoupled, VDI opens the door to a more robust and flexible IT environment, so that a company can keep working even in the event of hardware failure, natural catastrophe or any kind of disasters.
